Black bear euthanized after attacking boy, 10, in grandparents’ backyard

MORRIS, Ct. — A black bear was euthanized after it attacked a 10-year-old boy in his grandparents’ Connecticut backyard on Sunday.

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The boy, who was transported to an area hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening, was bitten in the leg and is expected to recover fully, WTNH reported.

According to The Associated Press, the 250-pound bear tried unsuccessfully to drag the child from his grandparents’ property in Morris.

Jenny Dickson, a spokesperson with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, confirmed to WFSB that the male bear was not tagged and that officials with the State Environmental Conservation Police euthanized the animal shortly after the 11 a.m. EDT attack.

“Our bear population is growing. A lot of our bears are continuing to become increasingly food conditioned and habituated. Much more used to people, a lot less likely to run away when they see people. That can become a very concerning situation,” Dickson told the TV station.

The boy’s grandfather, James Butler, told the Republican-American of Waterbury that his grandson was playing near a trampoline when the bear strolled out of a thicket behind the home.

“I heard him yell ‘bear’ and when I looked up, I saw his leg in the bear’s mouth and the bear trying to drag him across the lawn,” Butler told the newspaper, noting that he steered his wheelchair toward the bear and threw a metal bar at the animal’s head.

The bear briefly released the boy after the blow but then grabbed the child a second time and used its claws to try to roll the boy onto his back, Butler said.

Meanwhile, a neighbor who heard the boy’s screams scared the bear away by brandishing a pipe and yelling, he told the Republican-American.

Butler said the boy suffered a puncture wound to one thigh, claw marks on his back and bite marks on a foot and ankle.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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